a new discussion

He cried the first time he read his story out loud. She said it was because he was "sensitive”. I'm not sure that's true. Death is a topic that brings many to tears and most Americans are busy practicing "active denial". Though all of us are headed there, the journey is the only thing people want to talk about. Bring up death at your next dinner party – or over your next beer – and see what I mean. You'll be branded depressed, moody, and dark. Your next invitation will take awhile.

Death is the unspoken surprise we are all waiting for. Maybe each of us believes that by not talking about it, our most certain destiny will be altered. The superstitious refuse to say the word out loud. They fear that "death" will hear its name and suddenly appear. Close calls, accidents, and family deaths are all reminders of our own mortality – and of all those we love.

The fear of death robs us all. By not integrating this experience into our being, we rob ourselves and each other, of an awareness that will encourage lives well lived. By making the word and the discussion part of our everyday experience, we honor that we are here for a spell and understand that one day we won’t be. Nobody knows what happens next, but knowing that one day it will all be over makes every sunset you see, just that much brighter.

©2007